To those for whom the cruiser universe begins and ends on the Harley-Davidsons of the world, the Indian Motorcycle product line-up could be a real eye opener of sorts. We have ridden a variety of models from both the legendary American cruiser makers, and in our humble opinion, when it comes to the sheer finesse, refinement and the impact of it – the motorcycles from the Indian Motorcycles lineup emerge on top. Every single model from the oldest American motorcycle maker reeks of great attention to detail, has quality writ large over it and leaves you astounded with the overall experience. The Indian Chieftain Dark Horse is no exception. In fact, it’s one of the most well-equipped, opulent and of course expensive machines the iconic marquee has to offer. The Indian Chieftain Dark Horse comes with a price tag of INR 31,99,175 (ex-showroom Delhi).
Essentially a dark-themed version of the Indian Chieftain, the Chieftain Dark Horse is more of a visually differentiated package than offering any significant differences in terms of features, hardware or performance. In fact, the 2017 version of the Chieftain is slightly better equipped with a more modern display and few other goodies. The Chieftain Dark Horse, however, shares the enormous presence, hardcore touring capabilities and performance with the stock Chieftain, while getting a Darker, more imposing theme as a bonus.
You can read our detailed review of the Indian Chieftain by cliking here and know all about the performance and dynamic ability of the motorcycle.
For this post, we will take you through this marvel of a machine as a photo feature, showing you all the highlights of the motorcycle in great detail. Let’s get going…
Handlebars come equipped with this clamp for placing your smartphone, which could then be connected to the Motorcycle’s infotainment system, or could be used in isolation for navigation.
Powering this mammoth machine is the 1811cc Thunderstroke V-twin engine that delivers 74 hp of power at 5075 revs and 139 Nm of peak torque at 2600 rpm.
Supremely comfortable rider and pillion seats upholstered with the choicest leather. The saddle height for the rider is comfortably low, and the backrest offers great support during those long rides. While the pillion seat is pretty good too. That backrest, however, can sometimes foul with the shins while swinging a leg around.
Ventilated 320mm twin front discs and 300 mm rear disc provided convincing braking for this 350+ kg monster
The levers on the bike aren’t adjustable though
Loads of space inside those storage compartments. That waallet and cellphone should give you an idea about the compartment’s planar dimensions.
And this image should give some estimate of the compartments’ height.
The storage compartments are remotely locked and released through these buttons placed on the fuel tank.
The electrically adjustable windscreen can rise by up to 3 inches to ensure fantastic wind blast protection and fatigue free riding for hours
Big, wide footboards under brake and gear shift pedals are generously clad in rubber. Check out the Indian Motorcycle branding which is present almost everywhere. Like every other Indian Motorcycle offering, this one too boasts great attention to detail. The gearbox can be a bit hard to operate sometimes, though it shifts with precision and doesn’t have the clunkiness generally associated with such machines.
Leather strap with Indian branding running longitudinally over the tank
The bike comes with in-built speakers and allows you to listen to music via bluetooth, smartphone or through the good old radio tuner.
A 12V power supply is built in to charge all your gadgets, or your electrically warmed leathers if you are riding in a cold country.
You get to lock the Indian Chieftain the good old way, with a key.
From cruise control to tyre pressure management system, this one comes loaded with modern tech. That central screen, however is bigger and more colourful on the new 2017 Chieftain though.
While there is a low fuel indicator on the instrument console, we wish there were a distance to dry counter as well.
The switchgear on right and left side to control the assortment of features this bike boasts – including cruise control, infotainment controls and other basic controls
Speedo and tacho are classic analogue units, and you also get the good old needle indicated fuel guage.
The iconic Indian face emblem sits smug on the front fender
The fuel tank can store almost 21 litres within. The right fuel cap is real, the left one is a dummy.
The swooping rear fender gets these tail-lights. Nothing too fancy, but looks neat and rather pretty.
Check out a more exhaustive image gallery of the Indian Chieftain Dark Horse below
